First Buzz: 2024 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (will update)

[cruiserdaddy7]

The reps are now offering 1 case and 6 boxes at 159.99 per

[THE(NEXT)LEVEL]

Originally Posted by cruiserdaddy7

The reps are now offering 1 case and 6 boxes at 159.99 per

Yep just got this text. Fanatics is so scummy. This crap is not shortprinted at all. They create hype, then if it looks like the lemmings are begging for it, they sell it higher. Total manipulation and should not be legal to do.

[yoyosh]

Originally Posted by THE(NEXT)LEVEL

Yep just got this text. Fanatics is so scummy. This crap is not shortprinted at all. They create hype, then if it looks like the lemmings are begging for it, they sell it higher. Total manipulation and should not be legal to do.

#FalseScarcity
It's disgusting, but a very shrewd way to move product

[erock28]

Originally Posted by yoyosh

#FalseScarcity
It's disgusting, but a very shrewd way to move product

Concur 100%. This stuff came out at $2,750 a case at release - two weeks ago. That is a beyond insane price point for the projected return and high production levels. It dropped steadily and almost daily for a week plus, it was down to it's current price ($2,000) almost a week ago. For it to have dropped 25% in a week tells you all you need to know - the wax addicts grabbed theirs at the release price, and NO ONE else bought. Kept dropping...and no one was buying until they hit that magic even number of $2,000. They must be selling enough at $2,000 to justify keeping it there. Eventually (definitely when '25 Heritage and Bowman are released), they will keep the incremental drops until they see a uptick in sales, then hold until purchases dry up. Obviously I hate the practice, but it's a savvy distribution strategy if you don't need to recoup production costs in a small window of time.

Unless 2-3 of the big rookies in the product put themselves into consideration for MVP/CY votes, this shouldn't be more than $100/box or $1,200 a case. Hell, there was a time Blowout couldn't GIVE away cases of 2022 HHN for $600, and Bobby Witt is a legit top 5 player in the game, and Julio is still young enough to possibly make that leap to the top. Keep in mind, those cases had the typical high number chromes only, so your chances of pulling a parallel of a top player were better than 2024, which has an additional 525 mostly worthless chromes as filler.

I'm glad to not be the wax addict I once was. While I still love opening wax as much as ever, Fanatics has made the decision that much easier. The level of return on a case for a low end product like Heritage has reached a point where it's not even fun to open anymore...

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by THE(NEXT)LEVEL

Yep just got this text. Fanatics is so scummy. This crap is not shortprinted at all. They create hype, then if it looks like the lemmings are begging for it, they sell it higher. Total manipulation and should not be legal to do.

You can blame Fanatics (and I frequently do), but the real fault lies with everyone who is buying at these prices.

Supply adjusts to meet demand, not the other way around....

Nobody is being forced to buy at these inflated prices, but plenty of people are (not just breakers).

[ThoseBackPages]

wax addiction has never been higher than it is right now

[eastbayak]

Originally Posted by erock28

Concur 100%. This stuff came out at $2,750 a case at release - two weeks ago. That is a beyond insane price point for the projected return and high production levels. It dropped steadily and almost daily for a week plus, it was down to it's current price ($2,000) almost a week ago. For it to have dropped 25% in a week tells you all you need to know - the wax addicts grabbed theirs at the release price, and NO ONE else bought. Kept dropping...and no one was buying until they hit that magic even number of $2,000. They must be selling enough at $2,000 to justify keeping it there. Eventually (definitely when '25 Heritage and Bowman are released), they will keep the incremental drops until they see a uptick in sales, then hold until purchases dry up. Obviously I hate the practice, but it's a savvy distribution strategy if you don't need to recoup production costs in a small window of time.

Unless 2-3 of the big rookies in the product put themselves into consideration for MVP/CY votes, this shouldn't be more than $100/box or $1,200 a case. Hell, there was a time Blowout couldn't GIVE away cases of 2022 HHN for $600, and Bobby Witt is a legit top 5 player in the game, and Julio is still young enough to possibly make that leap to the top. Keep in mind, those cases had the typical high number chromes only, so your chances of pulling a parallel of a top player were better than 2024, which has an additional 525 mostly worthless chromes as filler.

I'm glad to not be the wax addict I once was. While I still love opening wax as much as ever, Fanatics has made the decision that much easier. The level of return on a case for a low end product like Heritage has reached a point where it's not even fun to open anymore...

I'm not justifying current prices but you're comparing apples to oranges.

1. Witt Jr is a beast but the 2024 rookie class, as a whole, is significantly better than the 2022 rookie class.

2. The hobby (and retail) configuration for 2024 HHN is vastly different (and superior) from 2022 HHN. The former offers more autos, numbered cards, minis, etc.

3. The hobby landscape, especially for baseball, has changed drastically over the last few years.

I'm actually shocked you made such a comparison lol.

[bub838]

#tenX #thankstopps

[erock28]

Originally Posted by eastbayak

I'm not justifying current prices but you're comparing apples to oranges.

1. Witt Jr is a beast but the 2024 rookie class, as a whole, is significantly better than the 2022 rookie class.

2. The hobby (and retail) configuration for 2024 HHN is vastly different (and superior) from 2022 HHN. The former offers more autos, numbered cards, minis, etc.

3. The hobby landscape, especially for baseball, has changed drastically over the last few years.

I'm actually shocked you made such a comparison lol.

I think you believe I'm talking about 22HHN prices from back in 2022. No, they were $600 a case throughout the 2024 season and into the early offseason! I know this because I contemplated buying 3-4 of them and ripping them for funsies when I got the itch. Ultimately didn't pull the trigger because I didn't want anymore garbage base cards taking up space.

To your bulletpoints, yes, the 2024 crop is much deeper and has much more potential than 2022. But at the end of 2024, Witt was a certifiable star and on a clear HOF track, and Julio...while somewhat stagnant statistically, still was 23 with 16 career bWAR and a large hobby following. While Skenes, Chourio, Langford, Holliday, Merrill and Yamamoto make a keckuva headlining group, it's asking a lot for one of them to be at Witt's level.

Yes, there are more autos in 2024, by nearly double per case. There are nearly 25 more subjects on the RO checklist though, so while your odds of getting a top 6 auto in 2024 are much better, the average case will yield a lot higher percentage of undesirable low-end rookie autos. Is 2024 better for autos? Yes, but not by a landslide due to the far more bloated checklist. As for the other inserts, chromes, etc. - I'd contend 2022 was better. 2024 inexplicably left out Merrill, Chourio, and Yamamoto in the Image variation subset, and has NO good throwbacks. Witt was in literally everything, the only missing Julio was a throwback. For chromes, you have an extra 525 mostly worthless cards to sift through...versus the standard 100 in 2022. I'd rather have less chromes but a higher percentage chance to pull a top guy than to get say a Brandon Drury type from low series a few times a box.

Third and final bullet - I only made the comparison because 22HHN was so cheap...in late 2024. Wax prices have spiked every year since 2018/19...I get it would be apples to oranges if I compared a few months after release side by side. But for 22HHN to be $600 in October and 24HHN to be $2000 six months later??? To me that's just nuts.

[eastbayak]

Originally Posted by erock28

I think you believe I'm talking about 22HHN prices from back in 2022. No, they were $600 a case throughout the 2024 season and into the early offseason! I know this because I contemplated buying 3-4 of them and ripping them for funsies when I got the itch. Ultimately didn't pull the trigger because I didn't want anymore garbage base cards taking up space.

To your bulletpoints, yes, the 2024 crop is much deeper and has much more potential than 2022. But at the end of 2024, Witt was a certifiable star and on a clear HOF track, and Julio...while somewhat stagnant statistically, still was 23 with 16 career bWAR and a large hobby following. While Skenes, Chourio, Langford, Holliday, Merrill and Yamamoto make a keckuva headlining group, it's asking a lot for one of them to be at Witt's level.

Yes, there are more autos in 2024, by nearly double per case. There are nearly 25 more subjects on the RO checklist though, so while your odds of getting a top 6 auto in 2024 are much better, the average case will yield a lot higher percentage of undesirable low-end rookie autos. Is 2024 better for autos? Yes, but not by a landslide due to the far more bloated checklist. As for the other inserts, chromes, etc. - I'd contend 2022 was better. 2024 inexplicably left out Merrill, Chourio, and Yamamoto in the Image variation subset, and has NO good throwbacks. Witt was in literally everything, the only missing Julio was a throwback. For chromes, you have an extra 525 mostly worthless cards to sift through...versus the standard 100 in 2022. I'd rather have less chromes but a higher percentage chance to pull a top guy than to get say a Brandon Drury type from low series a few times a box.

Third and final bullet - I only made the comparison because 22HHN was so cheap...in late 2024. Wax prices have spiked every year since 2018/19...I get it would be apples to oranges if I compared a few months after release side by side. But for 22HHN to be $600 in October and 24HHN to be $2000 six months later??? To me that's just nuts.

A lot of 2024 wax was cheap at release, including at their increased MSRP prices, relative to how they're priced now.

A lot changes in a short period of time.

Baseball card/wax prices have lagged behind basketball/football card/wax prices for a long time but we're starting to see the gap close.

You think it's bad now?! Just wait, it'll only get worse. Baseball card/wax prices are still CHEAP relative to the other 2 main (card-related) sports.

I get your frustrations though. I collect basketball (and dabbled in football a little) and saw how it played out with Panini products. Topps is following suit, and why wouldn't they, there's a lot of demand for baseball cards and it's easy money for them. It doesn't help that group breakers gobble up a lot of product and are able to fill slots (with ease).

When comparing the 3 main sports together, baseball is still the lowest risk (from a personal rip, group break, flipper and/or investor standpoint). And by a lot, at least as of right now.

[THE(NEXT)LEVEL]

Originally Posted by mfw13

You can blame Fanatics (and I frequently do), but the real fault lies with everyone who is buying at these prices.

Supply adjusts to meet demand, not the other way around....

Nobody is being forced to buy at these inflated prices, but plenty of people are (not just breakers).

I'm not so sure that everyone is buying at these prices and it's just not market manipulation by Topps and distributors. They are reaching for the moon, then dropping as they gauge demand. Once they see that their original offering(100/box) gets scooped up, then its game on.....

[atk825]

Originally Posted by erock28

I think you believe I'm talking about 22HHN prices from back in 2022. No, they were $600 a case throughout the 2024 season and into the early offseason! I know this because I contemplated buying 3-4 of them and ripping them for funsies when I got the itch. Ultimately didn't pull the trigger because I didn't want anymore garbage base cards taking up space.

To your bulletpoints, yes, the 2024 crop is much deeper and has much more potential than 2022. But at the end of 2024, Witt was a certifiable star and on a clear HOF track, and Julio...while somewhat stagnant statistically, still was 23 with 16 career bWAR and a large hobby following. While Skenes, Chourio, Langford, Holliday, Merrill and Yamamoto make a keckuva headlining group, it's asking a lot for one of them to be at Witt's level.

Yes, there are more autos in 2024, by nearly double per case. There are nearly 25 more subjects on the RO checklist though, so while your odds of getting a top 6 auto in 2024 are much better, the average case will yield a lot higher percentage of undesirable low-end rookie autos. Is 2024 better for autos? Yes, but not by a landslide due to the far more bloated checklist. As for the other inserts, chromes, etc. - I'd contend 2022 was better. 2024 inexplicably left out Merrill, Chourio, and Yamamoto in the Image variation subset, and has NO good throwbacks. Witt was in literally everything, the only missing Julio was a throwback. For chromes, you have an extra 525 mostly worthless cards to sift through...versus the standard 100 in 2022. I'd rather have less chromes but a higher percentage chance to pull a top guy than to get say a Brandon Drury type from low series a few times a box.

Third and final bullet - I only made the comparison because 22HHN was so cheap...in late 2024. Wax prices have spiked every year since 2018/19...I get it would be apples to oranges if I compared a few months after release side by side. But for 22HHN to be $600 in October and 24HHN to be $2000 six months later??? To me that's just nuts.

I dunno. Jackson Chourio is making a pretty compelling case to be as high end as Witt.

[rudan007]

Originally Posted by THE(NEXT)LEVEL

I'm not so sure that everyone is buying at these prices and it's just not market manipulation by Topps and distributors. They are reaching for the moon, then dropping as they gauge demand. Once they see that their original offering(100/box) gets scooped up, then its game on.....

Its a dangerous game for them. Once enough of the lemmings learn, the market will just wait for the decrease. Although there will always be addicts needing to have the rush of the 1st hit.....

[atk825]

Originally Posted by rudan007

Its a dangerous game for them. Once enough of the lemmings learn, the market will just wait for the decrease. Although there will always be addicts needing to have the rush of the 1st hit.....

Also, first single sales are always higher than they will be for a long time...especially now with like 50 parallels of every card.

[anusinha]

Originally Posted by atk825

I dunno. Kyren Paris is making a pretty compelling case to be as high end as Witt.

ftfy.

[seanbros55]

#boycottfanatics

[StankyFire]

has anyone received their orders from Dicks?

[Boulder487]

Originally Posted by StankyFire

has anyone received their orders from Dicks?

Have not. Just checked again and no update, no shipping estimate.

[StankyFire]

Originally Posted by Boulder487

Have not. Just checked again and no update, no shipping estimate.

wild - thank you

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by eastbayak

1. Witt Jr is a beast but the 2024 rookie class, as a whole, is significantly better than the 2022 rookie class.

2. The hobby (and retail) configuration for 2024 HHN is vastly different (and superior) from 2022 HHN. The former offers more autos, numbered cards, minis, etc.

Right now, 2024 > 2022 since you've got three potential superstars (Skenes, Chourio, Merrill), all of whom are following up their excellent 2024 seasons by getting off to fast starts in 2025.

That said, because of the Chroming of the entire 2024 set, the likelihood of pulling a Chrome RC of one of the big names may actually be smaller that that of pulling a Witt Chrome RC from 2022 HHN. Would love to see somebody try and calculate the odds.

[bub838]

I would be curious as to the odds, too. 2022 you have Witt, Julio, 100 subjects checklist and roughly 10-12 chrome per case

2024 you have Jacksons, Skenes, 5x the checklist but also 70 chrome per case.

[Americards]

Originally Posted by mfw13

You can blame Fanatics (and I frequently do), but the real fault lies with everyone who is buying at these prices.

Supply adjusts to meet demand, not the other way around....

Nobody is being forced to buy at these inflated prices, but plenty of people are (not just breakers).

Only breakers will buy this to resell to 30 gamblers hoping to hit the 3 best teams..

Boxes that were sold on Topps.com and now delivered to mostly people selling on ebay for $165 because $50 profit on a $100 box is great markup.
But Topps put out second offering of THH to some hobby shops at $180 and they have to buy as it does affect their future allocations of anything ...
Breakers can make up the difference (with 32 buyers) much easier than a hobby shop selling these to make a profit, on 1 buyer....
How can a shop justify to their customers to sell for $200 (let alone $225)
when it is being sold on ebay for $165....
This has happened with Finest x-men, re-offers for $175 a box when boxes were selling on ebay for $150.
I guess LCS stores need to just put those cases in the back room and hold it for a year or longer if they don't wanna take a loss on it immediately...






The Result of DIE-namic pricing

[chilly55]

I was able to pick up another 2 orders of 3 blasters from the most recent Target drop. Shows shipped this morning with 2 different tracking numbers. Not sure why DIcks is so slow to ship out.

[Wade Mulroy]

Originally Posted by chilly55

I was able to pick up another 2 orders of 3 blasters from the most recent Target drop. Shows shipped this morning with 2 different tracking numbers. Not sure why DIcks is so slow to ship out.

They always are for some reason. It isn't just for HHN, but I've ordered other products from them as well and they're always several weeks behind the others. Still a good option to get product as long as you aren't in a hurry

[erock28]

Originally Posted by bub838

I would be curious as to the odds, too. 2022 you have Witt, Julio, 100 subjects checklist and roughly 10-12 chrome per case

2024 you have Jacksons, Skenes, 5x the checklist but also 70 chrome per case.

Just did this - the odds were closer than I expected, but still better for 2022.

2022 = 11.26 chrome/refractor/silver/black per hobby case. Rate of hitting any one particular player = 100/11.26 = 8.89 cases.

2024 = 56.47 chrome/silver/black per hobby case. Rate of hitting any one particular player = 625/56.47 = 11.07 cases.